Modern Algerian literature, unique among Arab national literary traditions, features a cultural blend of Arabic, Berber and French influences. The literature reflects their love of Algerian culture and thought, and th...Modern Algerian literature, unique among Arab national literary traditions, features a cultural blend of Arabic, Berber and French influences. The literature reflects their love of Algerian culture and thought, and their revolt against French colonialism. The Algerian-born Arab author Muhammad Dib （1920-2003） wrote in French, mainly about the Algerian struggle for independence. Expelled in 1959 for supporting the Algerian revolution, he settled in Paris. Considered a pioneer of Algerian literature, he was the first Arab Algerian to write Western-style novels. His Algerian trilogy, La Grande Maison, L ＇lncendie, and Le Mktier ~ tisser, was published between 1952 and 1957. Though autobiographical, the books trace both rural and urban life in pre-revolutionary times. Dib＇s 1959 thematically driven novel Un Otd Africaine （An African Summer）, analyzed here, rather than depicting the Algerian revolution itself, describes its effect on the characters and their lives. Nevertheless, the novel, framed around a cross-section of Algerian society, reflects colonial government abuses and the common people＇s sacrifices for their dream of independence. Dib also depicts France＇s colonialist attitudes as a betrayal of the ideals of the French Revolution and claims to humanitarian values.展开更多
Salim Barakat is a Kurdish author, yet his works are highly regarded for their mastery of Arabic. To achieve his impossible goal of presenting a true picture of the dire condition of the Syrian Kurdish communities, sp...Salim Barakat is a Kurdish author, yet his works are highly regarded for their mastery of Arabic. To achieve his impossible goal of presenting a true picture of the dire condition of the Syrian Kurdish communities, specifically the Yazidis’ genocide in his novel The Captives of Sinjar, he resorts to Latin American magical realism and a convoluted writing style. Characters are not what they seem and every natural thing is a sentient being. The narrative traces the ghostly lives and deaths of five captive Yazidi girls and their five ISIS fighter-masters. The protagonist, Sarat, a fictional image of Barakat, is a painter, who lives and works by a secluded lakeside in Sweden. His work is influenced by the horrific imaginations of famous European artists. This paper accents the novel’s deep structure of collective memories of individuals and communities as addressed by the modern philosophers: Theodor Adorno, Maurice Blanchot, and Maurice Halbwachs.展开更多
文摘Modern Algerian literature, unique among Arab national literary traditions, features a cultural blend of Arabic, Berber and French influences. The literature reflects their love of Algerian culture and thought, and their revolt against French colonialism. The Algerian-born Arab author Muhammad Dib （1920-2003） wrote in French, mainly about the Algerian struggle for independence. Expelled in 1959 for supporting the Algerian revolution, he settled in Paris. Considered a pioneer of Algerian literature, he was the first Arab Algerian to write Western-style novels. His Algerian trilogy, La Grande Maison, L ＇lncendie, and Le Mktier ~ tisser, was published between 1952 and 1957. Though autobiographical, the books trace both rural and urban life in pre-revolutionary times. Dib＇s 1959 thematically driven novel Un Otd Africaine （An African Summer）, analyzed here, rather than depicting the Algerian revolution itself, describes its effect on the characters and their lives. Nevertheless, the novel, framed around a cross-section of Algerian society, reflects colonial government abuses and the common people＇s sacrifices for their dream of independence. Dib also depicts France＇s colonialist attitudes as a betrayal of the ideals of the French Revolution and claims to humanitarian values.
文摘Salim Barakat is a Kurdish author, yet his works are highly regarded for their mastery of Arabic. To achieve his impossible goal of presenting a true picture of the dire condition of the Syrian Kurdish communities, specifically the Yazidis’ genocide in his novel The Captives of Sinjar, he resorts to Latin American magical realism and a convoluted writing style. Characters are not what they seem and every natural thing is a sentient being. The narrative traces the ghostly lives and deaths of five captive Yazidi girls and their five ISIS fighter-masters. The protagonist, Sarat, a fictional image of Barakat, is a painter, who lives and works by a secluded lakeside in Sweden. His work is influenced by the horrific imaginations of famous European artists. This paper accents the novel’s deep structure of collective memories of individuals and communities as addressed by the modern philosophers: Theodor Adorno, Maurice Blanchot, and Maurice Halbwachs.
